News
Rivian’s RJ Scaringe talks on-site farming plans for employees, battery storage solutions
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe recently shared insights about the company’s psychology in a livestreamed conversation with professional rock climber Alex Honnold and Rich Roll, a long-time wellness advocate and endurance athlete. As Rivian develops the manufacturing capabilities necessary to build its all-electric R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV at market scale, serious consideration is going into how to harness their team’s energy into an industrial system that works for everyone involved.
“So, industrial systems you have very often are very much class-based system – the white collar workforce, the blue collar workforce – there’s a whole host of things that lead those two sides to often having friction. We see how unions have come in to sort of help try to make those two work a little bit better together. But, a big part of what we’re doing right now is actually mapping out and thinking about the psychology of our company and the psychology of this facility,” Scaringe detailed during the event.
One of the unique things Rivian has inherited during its growth into a full-fledged auto manufacturer is the work force from the 2.6 million square foot plant the company purchased from Mitsubishi. Scaringe described the human story of the facility as “remarkable”, citing how many of the people currently there were part of the original launch team that later had to shut the facility down.
“So, 1989-1990, there are people that are 21-22 years old, they launched the facility….25-30 years go by, they’re part of the team running it, building it, now have to shut this facility down,” Scaringe described. “When we bought the facility, we not only just got the hardware, the acreages of land…[Now] we’ve got a team of people that’s passionate about restarting the facility.”
The company hopes the motivation to restart the plant under a Rivian badge will carry over into a win-win for all involved.
“It’s really remarkable. I mean, I think we’ve got a gift to work with in terms of that level of energy and that passion to bring it back to life,” the CEO said. “As we think about how do we take this gift that we’ve been given in terms of a workforce that’s so motivated, and how do we challenge a lot of the conventions that have been built up in terms of industrial systems…we’re doing a lot of things in the facility to really take that energy and supercharge it, really harvest it.”
One of the ideas Rivian is working to benefit on-site employees utilizes the resources inherited from the plant itself. The acreage surrounding the actual facility isn’t entirely needed for production purposes, so the car maker is planning to partner with local universities for food production from ground to plate.
“We have 508 acres at the plant, a very small percent of which actually has the plant occupying it – most of it’s just grass. We’re gonna be turning a lot of that into an area to grow food. And we’re gonna run that in partnership with some of the local universities through their agriculture programs to grow food locally on our site…and then that food’s gonna be served in our facility with students that are learning from top chefs we’re bringing in to run the food services in our facility, and we’re gonna provide incredible food to our plant team regardless of what part of the plant you work in,” Scaringe revealed.
“[That way]…there’s true equity. Every employee is part of this mission of bringing this facility back up. And that positive energy that we’re establishing at the plant, we want it to be a benchmark for how industrial systems are run – the collaboration, the communication between groups, between our other facilities.”
The conversation with Rich Roll and Alex Honnold primarily involved another part of the company’s psychology – helping to accelerate widespread adoption of renewable energy. Rivian has partnered with the Honnold Foundation to use the electric truck maker’s “second-life” auto batteries for a micro-grid solar system in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Through this project and others in the future, older battery cells that are no longer efficient for electric vehicles are repurposed into stationary energy storage units.
Adjuntas was selected as their first project site due to the town’s need for energy assistance after struggling in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017. The Honnold Foundation and Rivian will be using 135 kWh battery packs from R1T and R1S development vehicles for that particular grid project; however, cells going into Rivian’s production vehicles have been purposefully designed to have a “second life” in energy storage. The move towards energy projects marks a huge step for Rivian, signaling its expansion beyond the manufacture of all-electric luxury adventure vehicles.
Rivian’s first vehicle deliveries to customers are still planned for the end of 2020. Scaringe said during the event that around 800 members of their preorder community, i.e., reservation holders, were in attendance at the event with Roll and Honnold, so a further manufacturing update was provided with that in mind.
“There’s a lot of stuff happening [at the plant]. We’re moving equipment, we’re putting new equipment in. We’ve got amazingly talented people working day and night to bring that facility up and start delivering cars as quickly as possible,” he promised.
Watch RJ Scaringe, Alex Honnold, and Rich Roll discuss the Honnold Foundation and Rivian’s facility details in the video below:
News
Tesla Robotaxi appears to be heading to a new U.S. city
Things are expanding for Robotaxi, but the big sign that it is really moving along greatly will be with the expansion to a new city. Tesla has not gone outside of Austin or the Bay Area as of yet, and launching in a new city will be a great indicator of progress.
Tesla Robotaxi appears to be heading to a new U.S. city, and although the company has revealed plans to launch in six new metros this year, it has yet to establish a new location outside of Austin and the Bay Area of California, where it has operated since last Summer.
A lot full of Model Y vehicles was spotted in Henderson, a town just north of Las Vegas, but there seems to be more than just this hint indicating that the Sin City will be the next location to offer potentially driverless rides in a Tesla using its Full Self-Driving suite.
These Model Ys are not your typical vehicles, as they are fitted with hardware that is only on Robotaxis: a rear camera washer is the dead giveaway:
🚨 These rear camera washers are only present on Robotaxi vehicles
Maybe Las Vegas is the next city to get the Robotaxi suite 😀 https://t.co/my3da5L4zc pic.twitter.com/jYFQuX1j2E
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 17, 2026
The photos and video of the lot were taken by TheZacher on X, who spotted the Model Y fleet in the Henderson parking lot.
The rear camera washer is the main piece of evidence here that indicates Tesla could be looking to expand Robotaxi to Las Vegas, a major ride-hailing hot spot, as it is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the United States. Ride-sharing is a major industry in Vegas, especially for those who are staying off the Strip.
Tesla has also been extremely transparent that Vegas is on its radar for the Robotaxi fleet, as it revealed last year that it was one of five new U.S. cities that it planned to launch the ride-hailing service in this year.
Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.
The others were Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami.
Things are expanding for Robotaxi, but the big sign that it is really moving along greatly will be with the expansion to a new city. Tesla has not gone outside of Austin or the Bay Area as of yet, and launching in a new city will be a great indicator of progress.
It will also give Tesla a new benchmark against rival company Waymo, which has operated in Las Vegas for some time.
News
Tesla Roadster gets new unveiling date once again
Musk announced last year that the unveiling, which initially happened back in 2018, would take place on April Fool’s Day. Initial deliveries at the 2018 event were slotted for 2020, but delays in the project, as well as prioritization of other things, continued to push the Roadster back.
The Tesla Roadster is perhaps the most anticipated vehicle in the company’s history, but those who have been waiting anxiously for it will have to push their timelines back once again.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that the company is once again pushing back the unveiling event that was originally planned for April 1. It will now take place “probably in late April.”
True.
New Roadster unveil probably in late April. https://t.co/NShZxpK5cI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 17, 2026
Musk announced last year that the unveiling, which initially happened back in 2018, would take place on April Fool’s Day. Initial deliveries at the 2018 event were slotted for 2020, but delays in the project, as well as prioritization of other things, continued to push the Roadster back.
There has been so much hype about the Roadster that people are right to be excited about the prospect of its existence.
Musk’s most recent rumblings about the vehicle came last Fall, when he appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where he once again hinted the car would be able to hover for a short period.
He said:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveiling ever. [It will be unveiled] hopefully before the end of the year. You know, we need to make sure that it works. This is some crazy technology in this car. Let’s just put it this way: if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that.”
Additionally, he said the vehicle would not be something that would prioritize safety. Musk said that “If safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster.” It’s made for speed and excitement, not for grocery-getting.
Elon Musk just said some crazy stuff about the Tesla Roadster
As the April 1 unveiling event that was originally planned was nearing without any communication to fans, media, or anyone who would potentially be in attendance, it seemed to be pretty obvious that Tesla was not ready to pull the trigger on the event quite yet.
There could be some last-minute things to finalize, or it could be something else. One thing is for certain, though: we are not super surprised that things were moved back.
Tesla has definitely been putting some things in motion for the Roadster. A few months back, Tesla started to ramp up hiring for the Roadster, and earlier in March, it submitted a patent application for a new seat design.
Elon Musk
Tesla named by U.S. Gov. in $4.3B battery deal for American-made cells
What began as an open secret in the energy industry was confirmed by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday: Tesla is the buyer behind LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
What began as an open secret in the energy industry is becoming more real after the U.S. Department of the Interior named Tesla as the stakeholder in the LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
Tesla and LG Energy Solution are expanding their partnership to build a LFP prismatic battery cell manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, launching production in 2027. The announcement, made as part of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Summit results, ends months of speculation.
“American-made cells will power Tesla’s Megapack 3 energy storage systems produced in Houston, creating a robust domestic battery supply chain.”, notes a press release on the U.S. Department of the Interior website.
Tesla has long utilized China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), the world’s largest LFP battery maker, as one of its primary suppliers. That relationship made financial sense for years, considering that Chinese LFP cells were cheap, abundant, and reliable. But with escalated tariffs on Chinese imports and an increasingly growing Tesla Energy business that’s particularly reliant on LFP cells for products including its Megapack battery storage units designed for utilities and large-scale commercial projects.
The announcement of a deepened partnership between LG Energy Solution and Tesla has strategic logic for both parties. For Tesla, it secures a tariff-compliant, domestically produced battery supply for its fast-growing energy division. LGES, now producing LFP batteries in Michigan, becomes the only major supplier currently scaling U.S. production, outpacing rivals like Samsung SDI and SK On. LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site, with a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. LG Energy said the contract includes options to extend the supply period by up to seven years and boost volumes based on further consultations.
For the broader industry, the ripple effects are significant. This deal signals that domestic battery manufacturing can be financially viable and not just aspirational. Utilities, energy developers, and rival automakers will take note as American-made LFP supply becomes a competitive reality rather than a distant promise.
For consumers, the benefits will take time but are real. A more resilient, U.S.-based supply chain means fewer price shocks from trade disputes, more stable Megapack availability for the grid storage projects that reduce electricity costs, and long-term downward pressure on energy storage prices as domestic production scales.
Deliveries are set to begin in 2027 and run through mid-2030, and as grid storage demand accelerates, reliable, US-made battery supply is no longer a future ambition. It is becoming a core requirement of the country’s energy strategy.
Tesla Robotaxi appears to be heading to a new U.S. city
Tesla Roadster gets new unveiling date once again
